In the Catholic tradition, work is more than a way to make a living; it is a form of continued participation in God’s creative action. As we mark the upcoming Labor Day, we are invited in a special way to reflect on the persistence of low wages and inequality in our workplaces. In your own experience of work—in an office setting, serving others, as a student, or working in the home—how have you experienced work as a form of participation in God’s creative action? How are persistent low wages a barrier to full participation in that creative action? What can you do to support workplaces built upon justice and dignity?
The Catholic bishops of the United States have long held that the most effective way to build a just economy is to make decent work at decent wages available for all those capable of working. When the economy fails to generate sufficient jobs, there is a moral obligation to protect the life and dignity of unemployed and underemployed workers and their families.
“Work is fundamental to the dignity of a person. Work, to use an image, ‘anoints’ us with dignity, fills us with dignity, makes us similar to God, who has worked and still works, who always acts…” – Pope Francis, Feast of St. Joseph the Worker and World Labor Day, 5/1/13
Click here for more Labor Day resources from the USCCB.